IV.

That sentence made him suddenly insensitive to the world surrounding him. He put the word "end" on everything he dreamed of, hoped or wanted. Their story was over before it could start and, weird to tell yourself how empty he felt, he had not lost anything, she had never belonged to him. Maybe he just wasted his time.

The dream was over.

Their lifes were over there.

Now he really needed the wine.

But he had to lose. He would lose love, he would lose her. He couldn't let that happen.

<< You're kidding me. >>

He looked at her, but she was not willing to give her eyes back. And yet he needed it so much.

<< Please. Don't be silent with my happiness in your hands. Tell me it's just a game. That I didn't illude myself. >> The voice was trembling from the emotion.

Would he have been a blameless vacuum to her? Would she have been fine living knowing what she'd given up?

It would have been a dream on his dark nights to stay close to her.

Instead, he would have kept living in her absence, even though he knew it wouldn't be easy, not now that he knew the touch of her hands, the color of her eyes and the perfume she wore.

Would he have replaced her?

Seeing no answers from the woman, he forced hiself to calm.

<< So that's it? Even if I need it? >> He asked resigned.

<< My father introduced him to me yesterday. >> She was still keeping her eyes low.

<< Couldn't you tell him your heart had already chosen? Because... you chose me, didn't you? >>

<>

<< Don't tell me it was just a hobby for you. >> He forced the voice and Antoinette got shocked by that change of tone and those words, so she went back to look at him.

<< No! Absolutely not. What do you think I am? >>

Adrien looked around before he found a better place to talk to the girl.

<< Come with me. >> He took her hand without glove and brought her beind a wagon left on the side of the road.

Behind their backs the Arc de Triomphe.

<< You can't drag me as you like. >> She said indisputably of disrespect.

Adrien smiled sardonic.

<< Is that what you're telling me? You let me sink into the sea inside your eyes? That you froze my heart with that news? You were ruthless, m'lady. >>

They both remained silent to contemplate what the other one said.

<> the lady sight.

<< Why did you come today? >>

<< To see you and say goodbye. Now, please stay in yours. >> She didn't know why she used that sharp tone as he walked away without looking back.

<< Tell me your name! >> Adrien was yelling stood by and watched.

She shook her head in denial and disappeared into the crowd.

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He came to the usual inn, slammed the door ruined and squeaky, he approached the bar with a shiny wood, laid his forearms and called the bartender. He ordered whiskey.

<< Adrien, why are you here? >>

<< Leave me alone, Bruno. >>

His friend took off the glass from his hand and put it away, where he couldn't get there.

<< It's not even lunch time, man. >> He made it.

<< Is there a time to be drunk? >> He Squiffed.

<< No, but you don't have to have any plans. Do you remember what day it is today? >>

Adrien stood up from the stool and patted Bruno on the shoulder.

<< Of course, how can I forget? >>

He moved away from his friend, he wanted to tell him why he was so upset, but not before he took the glass and finished the liquid in one sip.

<< It's promised to another man. >> He put the glass, carefully not to slam it too much, moved by anger.

<< Your market woman? >>

<< Didn't you hear me? She's not mine. She will never be. >> He bitter smiled by thinking about his illusions. How did he believe that?

<< Then why agree to see you today? >> he turned to the blond boy staring at the empty glass.

<> he imitated the distance between thumb and fingernails, << from her lips and she didn't move. She looked at me. >>

<< So you're not gonna see her again? >> Bruno was really sorry, he hated seeing Adrien so bitter.

<< That is what she said, but the sky of Paris will want us to see together. >>

Bruno let him go. There was no point in stopping him and forcing him to talk about her again. He would have prepared Edgar the last details of the plan.

He watched him talking to a bored girl lying on a chipped column. He knew he'd fall away through the thighs of some woman, get licked the wound and distract himself from the world outside the sheets. But it wasn't healthy for his soul.

Adrien really wanted to believe in something, in someone so he could pray, and then have whom to blame. He would have wanted a god to blaspheme by screaming at the closed door of a church. Maybe in Notre Dame.

Praying for one more moment with the people he lost, but with the awareness that they would soon be gone. He would have lived those last moments. He wouldn't wait for regrets.

And now that he looked at the sky from a window, he wondered if she, with those eyes so similar to what she was looking at, would forget.

Those eyes had become ice when they said goodbye. Would they melt to see him again?

He sighed thinking about what he had would do that night.

He never did it for money, he didn't care what they said about him, not even that he was one of Paris's most wanted men. His name, his fame preceded him, but he remembered the days when no one even wanted to know him, when an orphan and lonly prayed for a degrading job, when he had understood the beauty of loneliness and, having no home, he closed himself. For breakfast only dreams.

What did people knew about money in jackets?

He started going with different women and wondered who they were thinking during those amplexes, but they would never have told him. They just enjoyed themselves.

The paranoia of those days, the life that was gently buried him, he remembered clearly.

Those nights he was drunk on a bench waiting for sunrise, with the wonderful view of his city, but it didn't seem to return his feelings.

The woman he brought with him, stood by him and started caressing his back and kissing his neck trying to distract him from his thoughts.

Adrien squeezed his eyes and imagined the brunette. He turned and irrelevantly took the girl's face to kiss her, forced her to go back to the foot of the bed and threw her on it. He layed on her and started moving and, as he kissed her, he stripped her. Without love, without sweetness.

He came down with his lips to his belly.

<< I'm not like that, it happened only once. >>

He heard her panting. He didn't believe her.

She wasn't the first one to justify him like that. But didn't they realize he wasn't interested?

Why have to justify to someone who didn't even remember their name?

As he took his clothes, he thought about the question she asked him that morning. If he flattered all women like that.

He wanted to tell her that it was simply the only way to remove the thoughts and not feel so lonely, that pleasure was to ease the pain, that the taste of a woman's body was better than wine, the smell of sex drunk more than scotch and that the intimacy that you could reach with a stranger was poetic.

Sometimes he pretended to be loved.

He wasn't a fairy tale hero, he knew, he would never be, his life, even though he was moving from danger, was far from romantic. He didn't want to be the hero, he just needed to be human. With maybe too many flaws and some good he could use. He grew up on the dirty, dark streets of the city between stinking puddles and rats stealing his food, thought he'd die like that, and when he started to realize he wanted to leave, when he knew how to exploit his talent for a living, that's how he got to have a room in this inn.

He stole, brought medicine too expensive to those who couldn't afford, decided that if he couldn't save his sister, he wouldn't let anyone else die just because of the crime of being poor.

But he wasn't satisfied yet.

He pushed harder.

He was no one without a mask.

There was another woman who would have wanted to help, but he couldn't.

A prostitute. Beautiful, she was very beautiful.

She always waited for him at the same alley, between clients.

They talked a lot, they confided a lot. Then they made love. So many times.

They discovered them and they killed her.

He held the grip on her hips more.

<< Adrien! >>

Clovis swore immediately to the room and saw the scene.

<< What the fuck do you want? >> Adrien turned around in a hurry but he didn't get off the woman. He acted like nothing was after he realized it was just Clovis.

Next time, he had to make sure to locked the door.

<< We have a change of plans. >>

nino-bruno kim-david marc-edgar nathalien-clovis max- gabriel chloe-coline ivan-gerard

<> Adrien entered in the room wearing only pants and a shirt still in his hand.

He'd heard the boy talk in a tangled way from behind the door.

<< We received the tip from the usual spy. The princess will be attending the theatrical show. >>

Funny, Adrien thought, Princess Antoinette never showed up too much by the people, probably her father feared for her safety, there are rumors about her unusual beauty, even that she was envyed by Notre Dame, that's why gargoyles and all those frozen saints. It was said that before her birth, the statues guarding of the cathedral were beautiful angels and that biblical representations smiled.

Stupid stories to keep the people good and show the magnificence of the royal family.

Adrien knew who was the only one who could have such beauty and wasn't the princess and would never see her again.

He shook his head back to reality.

<< Why show up now? And why would that change our plan? >> Gèrard asked.

<< For Prince Luka. She can't not be by his side. >> Adrien answered.

<< Right. But here's the thing. Guys, the princess asked to be escorted to the Versailles' palace after the theater. >>

<< So instead of targeting the guests who will reach Paris... >> Bruno began.

<< We'll attack the princess's carriage directly! >> Exorbed by Clovis.

<< She'll have to be dressed at a party, she'll have to be noticed, she'll have so much jewelry on her... >>

<< It'll be more dangerous. >> Adrien interrupted them.

He had a watertight in his mouth to think he could even get his hands on a princess's caliber necklace, but they had to be extremely careful.

She would have had more guards than her cousin who came to keep her company for a few days.

<< We have also solved this problem. >> Said Gabriel satisfied himself. << Nobody has been told, because of fear of our attack, so they do not expect great danger. They don't know who the spy is. There'll be few royal guards, and some of the best. But we can handle with the surprise effect. >>

<< It has to be easy and clean. >> Specified Adrien.

<< Just keep it in your pants. >> David joked by blowing everyone in a big laugh. He laughed at it too before he imitated a face of offence.

<< You're despicable. I would never approach to our sweet, innocent princess... not without her will. I'd almost have to.>>

He went back to laugh with his comrades.

<< You think she's sweet and innocent? I think she has spoilets. Otherwise, her father wouldn't keep her locked up. >> Says less seriusly Bruno.

<< Well, in that case, I'll let you know in the morning. >> He still played the blond.

<< Listen him braging. Only yesterday he was breaking our balls with the woman's market, and now even the princess would do it.>> David pranked him again, joking around.

<< Oh well, you have nothing to worry about it. Just this morning, she told me she was engaged. >> He turned his back on and tried not to lose the hilarity of that moment. He probably wasn't very convinced.

Everyone was really sorry about their friend, and info was joking about us, but they knew how much he really fall for that woman.

<< Sorry, man. >> On behalf of all, Gèrard, he patched him on the shoulder.

<< I'll deal with it. >> Sighed before he stretched a new smile.

<< Let's start getting ready. >> He broke the silence. He was supposed to incite his boys. This would have been the stroke of the century. They could have helped so many people! He was excited.

In the orphanage at the end of the road, there were two girls who needed him and if they hadn't taken some medicine, maybe the contagion would have been devastating.

<< Then Bruno and I will go to the theater, when the opera will be finished, we will join you. So we'll know when to be ready.>>

He wore his usual black jacket and squeezed the little rope in a knot to make sure he was covered up to his throat, the pants, black as the shirt, the boots of the same color and finally tied his sword belt to life. Before he left the room, he put in an inside pocket of his shirt, that he specially sewed, the usual dark mask, took the black cape and headed to Bruno.

<< The others? >> Asked by looking around.

<< They've already gone to positioning. We have to go. The show must be already started. >>

<< It was a shame. Maybe the story was interesting. >> He joked pretending to be serious while following his friend in the dark streets of Paris.

They arrived at the entrance to the actors-reserved theater, usually the least-guarded part.

<< There's only one guard. >> Bruno informed him.

<< Do we need to distract her. >>

<>

He approached the man in uniform and drew his attention to the back.

<< I'm sorry, my sister's performing at the theater tonight, she kept me a private place in the audience, but I wish I could surprise her first. Could Icome by here to... >>

<< Do you have a ticket with you? >> Asked hard.

Bruno saw Adrien sneak in.

<< But they have my name at the entrance. If you don't trust me, you can go ask them. >>

Adrien started looking around trying to figure out how to get undisturbed where he could see the princess's movements.

<< Who are you? >>

He turned and saw a woman with red hair like fire and dressed up in a scene watching him frowned.

He couldn't get caught now.

<< I'm your fan, madame. >> After he kissed her hand, he approached her, and he grabbed her for waist with his arm, and with his other hand, he mimiced the silence with the index that touched her makeup lips. He brought his face so close to her and pressed her against his chest.

<< It's a pleasure to be so on your back. >> He sighed on her lips.

<< You... >>

<>

She was completely lost in his eyes and liquefied in his arms.

The young man slipped his finger from her lip to her chin, until supporting his hand on his chest tieded by her corset.

<< You're agitated, madame? Is there anything I can do for you? >>

Bruno managed to get in and when he saw the scene, he stopped unbelievable. That boy was hopeless.

He certainly got caught.

<>

<< Excuse me? >> Bruno interrupted by interrupting the friend's play.

The actress seemed to be struggling back on the ground.

<< He's my friend. I was afraid of the emotion would be too much. >> Smiled.

How could he always get into this?

That's when the guard came in searching for Bruno, he came up to them with a threat.

<< They're with me, they can stay. >> said the actress to calm the armed man.

<< See? >> Had a smile Bruno to the guard who was going away in the meantime.

<< Thank you, Madame, how can I repay you? >> Adrien squeezed her again and her prosperous breast pressed against his chest.

Bruno shook his head off. He waited with his arms crossed to his chest.

The woman approached her lips painted in the ear of the blond to whisper sensual, << We'll think about it at the end of the show. >> Then she left.

<> Bruno got closer and Adrien smiled and raise his shoulder up.

<< What can I do? Talking to women is a gift. >>

They managed to get to the stage and the playhouse in a hidden corner of the theater.

<< You see her? >> Friend bruno pointed out to him the central and highest place where the princess sat with the whole royal family.

He could only see the brunette crown harvested in a fancy hairdress because she was turned to speak to Prince Luka sitting next to her.

He was really curious to see her face.

That black hair was already a hard blow to his tormented heart.

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